


Shadow of the Wolf

by Tarlan



Category: Eureka
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Drama, M/M, Small Fandom Big Bang, Time Travel, Trope Bingo Round 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-07
Updated: 2015-04-07
Packaged: 2018-03-19 19:24:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3621426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jack returns from 1947 with the others he is in for a shock. Not only is he dead in this timeline, but he died in Nathan's place. As if that is not shocking enough, he learns there were secrets in Eureka beyond Section 5, and the changes emanating from their adventure back in 1947 have brought the biggest secret of all from out of the shadows.</p><p>On the other side of the equation, Jack's return has given Nathan a chance to claim a mate he thought lost to him forever. Except Nathan doesn't know if this Jack Carter has the same feelings for him as the one he lost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shadow of the Wolf

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Artwork for Small Fandoms Big Bang 'Shadow of the Wolf' by Tarlan](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3666267) by [danceswithgary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/danceswithgary/pseuds/danceswithgary). 
  * Inspired by [Banner for "Shadow of the Wolf" By Tarlan](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3700667) by [marlislash](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marlislash/pseuds/marlislash). 



> Written for SmallFandomBang Round 4 (2014-15)  
> With many thanks to taibhrigh for checking through the story for me, and to danceswithgary for the lovely promo video.  
> This also meets my Trope Bingo R4 prompt: Time Travel

The dance hall of 1947 faded away and after the initial moment of elation had passed, the first clues that all was not right with his world became apparent. Jack rushed from the center of town back to the bunker, his fears growing with every small difference spotted along the way: the color of the awning over the dry cleaning store, the shape of the street lights, the lighter coloring of the paving, and even the occasional tree or shrub in just the wrong place or wrong species. As a U.S. Marshal he had learned to be hyper aware of his surroundings, to be hyper vigilant when hunting down a fugitive or protecting a witness, and now everything seemed off, adding to his anxiety. The changes inside his jeep spooked him even more than seeing the Archimedes statue made out of bronze instead of granite. Why the hell would he have a Lucky Silver Bullet hanging from the rear view mirror? Where was the tacky but beloved baseball bat souvenir that Zoe had bought him from the Angel Stadium of Anaheim when she was eight years old? Having a bullet hanging from his mirror was almost as crass as having furry dice, and particularly cliché for a law enforcement officer.

The siren sounded different too, several tones lower; he could feel the sound almost vibrating in his bones. The flashing lights were the same so that was something. He pulled into the parking area outside his home and tensed at the neat exterior of the bunker. Was that a flower bed to one side? Jack took the no longer dimly lit steps three at a time, noticing the interior walls of the stairwell had been painted in a pale beige, and he became even more afraid of what he might find inside.

"S.A.R.A.H., door," he called out but the thick, steel door remained stubbornly closed. "Oh, come on, S.A.R.A.H. Whatever I've done to upset you, I'm sorry! Please let me in."

He rubbed a hand against the metal door frame as that had always helped in the previous occasions when she'd got in a snit and locked him out. Almost ten minutes of pleading and cajoling, and promises that he might or might not keep, was needed before he was rewarded with the bunker door hissing open almost begrudgingly without a word from S.A.R.A.H. 

"Thank you!" he sighed in relief.

Jack slid inside before the door was fully open, just in case S.A.R.A.H. changed her mind, and froze as he took in all the changes to the interior. The layout was the same but the furnishings were different, with floral-patterned cushions scattered over a new, light brown faux-leather couch. It showed a woman's touch, and for a moment he wondered if he and Allison had gotten together like in the strange dreams he'd experienced occasionally, or if Tess had stayed rather than take the job offer in Australia. Thoughts of Allison and Tess slipped away quickly, unimportant compared to his renewed fears for Zoe.

"S.A.R.A.H., is Zoe still at Harvard?"

"Zoe Carter is at M.I.T studying Advanced Robotics."

"M.I.T.?" 

Okay, so that was new too... or old. The career choice program had given Zoe a high aptitude score for Robotics but she'd chosen medicine after helping to deliver Jenna. Ever the rebel, he thought with a wry smile but at least he had assuaged some of his fears. Zoe was alive in this universe. Before he could ponder on this some more, a blue light enveloped him, and Jack registered it as a scan.

"S.A.R.A.H.!" he called out in exasperation, trying to swat away the light.

"My scans indicate you are indeed Jack Carter, former Sheriff of Eureka."

"Wait? What? _Former_ sheriff?"

"As in not sheriff any more," a deep but familiar voice came from the doorway and Jack spun on one heel to face a ghost slowly approaching him.

"Nathan," he breathed out in shock, voice catching on a name he had refused to say except under duress since the day Stark stepped into the chamber, and died. He caught himself quickly, trying to school his face back into a bland expression. "What can I do for you, Stark?" 

The furrow of suspicion creasing Stark's brow proved he hadn't reacted fast enough to hide his shock at seeing Nathan Stark alive and whole. His eyes drank in the sight of a man he had believed lost forever; tall, handsome, with the same neat beard and dark, glossy curls... wearing a suit that would have cost Jack more than a month's pay. What didn't help was the very sight of Nathan sending his stomach flipping and aching, caught between intense joy and utter confusion. He curled his fingers, digging his nails into the palms of his hands to resist reaching out to confirm with touch that Nathan was truly standing in front of him, that it was not some apparition or waking dream.

Stark took a couple more steps closer to Jack, and that was when Jack noticed Jo and two security guards from Global Dynamics right behind him. Jo gave Jack a barely noticeable shake to her head, dark eyes widening fractionally as she sent a silent warning. She had changed out of the 1947 clothes and back into her familiar beige uniform shirt and pants.

His keen eyes caught a single word, and a glance at her name badge confirmed what was written on her seven-point star: 'J. Lupo, Sheriff'.

"Sheriff?"

S.A.R.A.H. had called him the former sheriff, and obviously, Jo had gained the promotion she had long coveted after he left, or resigned, or more likely was permanently fired by Eva Thorne and General Mansfield. He felt sick inside, wondering where he had ended up, recalling taking an interview with Homeland Security.

By now Stark was only a few feet away and Jack could see the blue-green eyes studying him intently, as if Jack was more than just a puzzle or an enigma he had to solve. Yet despite this, his facial expression remained neutral, fully under control, revealing nothing outwardly of his inner turmoil, but Jack's U.S. Marshals sixth sense had kicked in. He could see something in Nathan's eyes and he could sense the tension, the disbelief and... was that longing hanging in the air between them? All of this seemed to be emanating from the poker-faced man who slowly circled him like a predator stalking prey, and it confused Jack.

He had always been able to read people, and that had stood him in good stead when dealing with victims and criminals alike, but that intuitive feeling seemed even stronger now as he looked back at Nathan. It was as if Nathan was reflecting back all of Jack's own feelings towards him. Jack glanced towards Jo, seeking answers, and in doing so he almost missed the aborted gesture as Stark reached out to touch him before drawing his fingers back quickly.

Jack had a very bad feeling about this new timeline.

"Stark?"

"You're certain he's Jack Carter," Stark asked, but he had raised his head and voice as he addressed the question to S.A.R.A.H., and she answered immediately.

"Yes, Doctor Stark, though I am detecting anomalies on a quantum level."

"That can't be good," Jack quipped but Stark ignored him, simply nodding as if it confirmed something he already knew. He stared hard at Jack for a moment longer before turning and walking away.

"Take him to Global."

"What? Wait! Stark!" He struggled as the two security guards grabbed hold of his arms. "Nathan!"

Stark's footsteps faltered upon hearing his given name, his head half-turning back to where Jack was semi-struggling with the guards. Then his shoulders set and he kept on walking, disappearing from view as Jack shouted after him. Jo stepped in front of Jack, calling his name sharply as he continued to struggle to get free.

"Carter!"

The concern in her eyes made him see reason. Whatever had happened to him in this timeline was not something he was going to find out by resisting arrest. Perhaps he'd get answers from Jo on the way to Global, or from Stark once he reached there.

****

On the journey from the bunker to Global Jo gave him as much information as possible by making oblique references to his current position.

"You don't look so bad for a dead man," she quipped.

He groaned inwardly. There went his hope he'd simply resigned or been fired like in the old timeline - and not reinstated by Henry - but he was sadly not surprised to learn he was dead. Certainly it explained why everyone, and by everyone he meant Stark, was acting strange around him. Briefly he wondered how he had died, having lost count of the many times some crazy experiment had almost killed him since coming to this Looney Tunes town.

In dismay he fell quiet, staring out at the car side window at the subtly changed scenery as they headed towards Global.

Nathan Stark was alive though, and the shock of that was still reverberating through him because he had watched the man die, dissolving into a billion little pieces of light. He hadn't told anyone but he still had nightmares reliving that moment, and in those dark dreams he faced the accusations of others who wished he had died in Nathan's place. Jack hadn't needed a shrink to tell him what his subconscious was saying, having spent fifteen years married to one.

Survivor's guilt.

He should have been the one to step inside that chamber and reset time. Not Nathan.

Nathan had everything to live for - Allison, Kevin, and unknowingly at the time, the daughter he would never meet, and that didn't even take into account his brilliance and any future world-changing work lost to humanity. Fargo had mentioned talk of Nathan deserving a second Nobel Prize for some breakthrough - as if one wasn't enough already - but no posthumous nominations were ever made by the Committee. It seemed a little unfair, but Jack knew all about it from sharing Thatcher's memories during the Eureka Missile Crisis, as Jack referred to it.

In comparison he was nothing, a nobody when stood alongside Doctor Nathan Stark, PhD, PhD etc. etc. Except that wasn't true. That was the guilt talking. Maybe he wasn't some super-genius but he was a father to Zoe and a brother to Lexi, and they had both needed him just as much as Allison and Kevin had needed Nathan. Except he had needed Nathan too, though he hadn't been fully aware of that at the time.

The shock of losing Nathan had crept up over the months that followed, hidden beneath layers upon layers of denial that slowly peeled away. Abby had told him there was a thin line between love and hate, and he had always believed he hated Nathan until he watched him die. He could still see him standing tall and proud, only his glistening eyes revealing his fear as he stood inside the time chamber, preparing for something worse than death - erasure from time. Unlike with Leo, there would be nothing left to bury, just a memory of a brilliant man who should have been given a second Nobel Prize; who should have been a father to Jenna and a husband to Allison.

As always, thoughts of Stark and Nobel Prizes brought back memories Jack wished he could erase.

He recalled the fake Nobel Prize award ceremony for Thatcher, and how good Stark had looked in a tuxedo; tall and elegant. Perhaps he would have worn the same tuxedo as he accepted that second Nobel. Jack could almost see the bright smile lighting up Nathan's face... and he smiled too as he imagined Stark's ego filling the presentation hall in Stockholm as that coveted award was handed over for a second time.

If Jack hadn't already noticed how gorgeous Nathan looked then that fake ceremony had been the real eye opener, but subconsciously he had decided long before then that Nathan was so far out of his league there could never be any reciprocal attraction. Nathan Stark, with his I.Q. so high it made the rest of the geniuses in this town look like idiots - and made him look like a simpleton - had barely tolerated him at the best of times, or so it seemed. So perhaps as a defense mechanism, he had barely tolerated Nathan in return.

Instead he'd set his heart on Allison. Not that he had fared any better with her because she had chosen Nathan over him, and who could blame her? Two beautiful, intelligent people. Even Abby had noticed how good they looked together - or had she read him like a book and seen how much he desired one or both of them, wanting to spite him? Her need to make him feel inferior had become far worse after they divorced even though she had been the one to destroy their marriage in the end with her numerous affairs.

Naively, he had thought he might stand a chance with Allison once she stopped grieving for Nathan, but the closest he got was a kiss barely an hour earlier that had taken place sixty years in the past. It certainly seemed a lifetime ago now, and as he continued to stare out of the car window, barely taking in the almost familiar sights as they headed towards Global Dynamics, his thoughts returned to the kiss he had shared with Allison.

Despite the high adrenaline situation and the fear it might be the last time he saw her, it hadn't been the earth-shattering experience he'd anticipated. It puzzled him for a moment as their very first kiss had also taken place under less than desirable circumstances, and that had been electric. Now Jack wondered if the exhilaration he'd felt then was due more to Nathan's presence than to having Allison in his arms.

Oh, who was he trying to kid? The butterfly sensation in his gut that he had always associated with the beautiful Allison Blake, had disappeared on that terrible day along with Nathan. He did love her, but not with the fiery passion and giddiness he'd once experienced with Abby. Seeing Nathan again had brought those feelings rushing back, except now came the realization they had always been for Nathan rather than Allison.

He smacked his forehead against the cool glass of the passenger window.

"I am so screwed," he murmured as it was one hell of an Epiphany with the usual slice of incredibly bad timing.

They arrived at Global only a few minutes later and he half expected they would take him to one of the medical labs, to be poked and prodded like a piece of live meat, but instead Jo took him to the holding cell in the security section. The familiar cell was spartan, with just a bunk seemingly molded out of the interior wall, so no change there. Jack sank down onto it, finding it far more comfortable than it looked. He dropped his head into his hands, trying to recall if time travel was on the list of bad things that could get him thrown into the deepest, darkest hole inside of the D.O.D. forever, even though it was not his fault. He hadn't asked to be sent back to 1947. None of them had, but that was of little consequence when faced with the bureaucracy of the D.O.D.

He wondered where Allison was now, and if she had managed to slide back into her life in this new timeline without experiencing the same problems he was currently facing. He hoped so. Jo looked worried as she activated the force field, and Jack felt his concern rise for Henry and, yes, even Fargo. He had to protect the others no matter the cost to himself personally, but that was nothing new to a former U.S. Marshal and Town Sheriff. For all he knew the others might already be sitting in the cells next to his but he was certain Jo would have said something if that was the case. All he could hope was for Jo to drop a few hints on how they were doing, just to ease his anxiety.

An hour passed before Nathan reappeared. Jack didn't notice him at first because he was so damned tired after all the running around and climbing and nearly getting left behind after Grant swapped jackets with him. Luckily, physical contact with Allison had been enough to bring him back with her, but Jack knew it had been a close call; it might just as easily have backfired on Allison and left them both stranded in 1947. It had worked though - to an extent - and Jack could think of far worse changes than a statue in town. Hell, despite his current predicament, this timeline was already better than the one he lost because Nathan was alive again.

Finally, he sensed the scrutiny and raised his eyes quickly to meet Nathan's, catching a strange, almost wistful expression on Nathan's face again before he schooled it back to his usual 'poker face'. Nathan crossed the room until he stood just a few feet from the force field, standing straight and authoritative with hands clasped in front of him, but that intimidating stance had never worked on Jack before so it wasn't going to elicit any fear or respect now.

"Stark," Jack greeted coolly.

"1947," Nathan stated without preamble and this time it was Jack who had to school his features to avoid revealing too much in case this was just a fishing expedition. He didn't want to endanger the others.

Jack waited silently. The U.S. Marshals had taught him how to handle interrogations from Nathan's side of the table so it meant he knew all the tricks and how to counteract them, and silence was a very useful tool. He doubted Nathan had much experience with silence, using the size of his brain and his sharp intellect to intimidate lesser mortals into spilling all their secrets. The silence lengthened and a slight tic of Nathan's jaw showed his impatience was barely held in check. Jack almost smiled at the soft sigh conceding defeat.

"Particles in your clothing and the jacket itself confirm you were in 1947 only a few hours ago."

"Then why ask what you already know?"

Nathan gave a slightly exasperated sigh this time, turning away to grab the chair standing against the far wall. He placed it directly opposite where Jack still sat on the edge of the bunk, with the force field shimmering between them.

"I'm willing to believe you really are Jack Carter, if only for the headache already forming that I haven't had since..." He trailed off, keeping a tight control of his expression but Jack felt the grief pouring from Nathan like a shock of cold water inside his head.

"Since I died?" Nathan's face blanched even as he raised both eyebrows at Jack's words. "Yeah, Jo let that cat out of the bag."

Nathan nodded, clearing his throat softly before continuing. "How did you get there? And how did you get back here?"

Jack looked at Nathan in surprise. "You're really asking me about the science stuff?"

Nathan's lip twitch in an aborted smile. "Yes, apparently I am."

Jack shrugged. "I didn't exactly understand most of what Grant said."

"Grant? Doctor Trevor Grant?"

"Yeah." He figured it would be safe to mention some egghead who had lived back in 1947, and it might be enough to protect Henry and Fargo as no one would believe he had managed to figure out all the science required to bring him back all by himself. Just to be on the safe side Jack changed the subject before Nathan could ask more questions about Grant and 1947. "How did I die."

For a moment he didn't think Nathan was going to answer, but then Nathan seemed to lose some of the tension in his body and Jack heard a soft, regret-filled sigh.

"When you stepped into the Time chamber you stopped the loops but-."

"Vanished into a billion tiny sparkles," Jack finished softly and saw Nathan's green-blue eyes glisten.

Jack swallowed hard. So that was how he had died in this timeline. He had taken Nathan's place, proving his guilt had some substance after all. Nathan had insisted only he or Fargo could operate the clock to restart the photon, that there wasn't enough time to show him or teach him a song the way Leo had taught him the time equations. Only the fact that he was still dead in this timeline - at least until a few hours ago - put some of Jack's guilt to rest. Over this past year he had managed to convince himself Nathan would have been able to bring him back from oblivion if he had stepped into the chamber, and that Nathan had doomed himself by taking Jack's place. Obviously that hadn't happened unless Nathan simply hadn't cared enough to work on the problem, but that went against everything he knew about the man. What was it that Nathan had once said to him, when he accused Nathan of being tenacious, like a dog with a bone? Oh yes... They don't give out Nobel prizes to people who give up too easily, or something like that.

Jack licked his dry lips. "So what happens next?"

"I let you go."

Jack straightened in surprise. "Really? Just like that?"

A small smile twitched at the corners of Nathan's mouth. "No."

Jack sighed deeply, resigned to whatever fate Nathan had in store for him. "Okay. What's the catch?"

"You don't have a life to go back to, Jack. You... died. You'll have to stay in Eureka for the foreseeable future, under observation."

Under the circumstances this was more than Jack expected, but he sensed Nathan had an ulterior motive. He just couldn't figure out what it could be despite the occasional slips in Nathan's facade. The next question poised on the tip of his tongue was how much observation. In a town like Eureka, observation could mean 24/7, catching every word or gesture, everything he ate, drank... hell, he might not even have privacy in the bathroom, reminding him of when he first moved into the bunker and discovered Fargo had cameras recording him even as he slept - and wasn't that creepy.

He needed to know if it would be safe to approach any of his fellow time travelers but Jack knew he couldn't trust any answer Nathan gave at this time. He decided he would simply have to remain cautious until he was certain he could speak openly to the others. Maybe let Henry and Fargo do some of their sciencey stuff to hide themselves, Jo and Allison before anyone found out, and no doubt Henry would find some way to get around the observation too, given time.

"If it means I get out of this cell then... Deal. Except I don't have a place to live... or a job."

"The first is easily arranged." A sly grin lifted one side of Nathan's mouth. "And I'm sure Sheriff Lupo could use a deputy."

Jack rolled his eyes.

Oh, that was going to go down well with Jo. She always believed she'd make a better sheriff than him and now she'd do her damn best to prove it. Still, if he had to be demoted to deputy he could do far worse than having Jo as his boss, even though she'd be a hard taskmaster.

****

Nathan kept his head high and his face impassive all the way back to his plush office, locking the door behind him and shutting out the rest of the world before letting the facade fall. Two weeks ago, on the anniversary of Jack's death, he had stood in his garden looking up to the heavens and called on any superior lifeform up there listening to grant him one wish - Jack's return.

Well, his wish had been granted and now he had his heart's desire back among the living. He had a means to fix all of the regrets haunting him since that last tragic time loop, but this wasn't his Jack Carter; it was A Jack Carter, and Nathan wasn't sure what the difference was between them - not yet. Outwardly he seemed to be the same Jack, with that familiar, warm scent of sunshine and cheap body wash, and the same annoying way of getting under Nathan's skin, but Nathan didn't want to risk his heart on a good facsimile.

In his mind he replayed the last loop of that fateful day when he lost Jack.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Until Jack began to sing the quantum equations to the tune of _Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star_ , Nathan thought it was just a petty ruse to get him to cancel his wedding to Allison. They had been fighting over her from the moment he returned to Eureka as the Director, but he had eventually worn Allison down, and she had said, "Yes," to his second marriage proposal. Of course Nathan had his doubts as they had not exactly worked as a couple the first time around but he quashed them over his desire to win her away from Jack, and he refused to stop and consider why that was so important to him.

It didn't take long for him to go through Weinbrenner's notes as most of the equations came from Walter Perkins' quantum experiment that almost destroyed the town - and led to the former Head of Global Dynamics, Warren King, being placed under arrest. Walter had ended up out of sync with time but they had found a way to stabilize him, and had placed him under house arrest. He was a brilliant scientist, but Nathan silently cursed himself for not taking a more active part in monitoring his collaboration with Weinbrenner, especially when he spotted the fatal flaw in Weinbrenner's calculations that had not taken into account the impact of his theory upon the rest of the universe. Weinbrenner had thought his chamber would act like a pocket universe, containing just that one single photon held in stasis outside of the universal time stream. He was wrong.

Weinbrenner was dead, killed while trying to restart the photon because a human was not as exact as a computer. The Swiss clock solved that problem, but when the seal broke with only minutes to spare there was no choice; someone had to activate the clock manually from inside the chamber. Fargo offered but Nathan turned him down, recognizing how much he had grown since Jack came to Eureka, and wondering how much of that was due to Jack's influence.

When he made to step inside, telling Jack that he couldn't teach him how to set the clock in time, Jack had called him on the lie.

"I can set a damn clock, Nathan," Jack replied angrily before his voice softened, "But if you're wrong and this isn't the last loop... I'm not going to survive another loop. I have bruises on top of bruises. I have serious internal injuries, cracked ribs." His blue eyes were wide and pleading. "You'll need to be here to fix this. You need to let me do this."

All of Nathan's calculations pointed to everything inside the chamber being erased from time from that point forward, with no hope of anything returning without collapsing the entire universe. With a shock he realized he didn't want to lose Jack, that he would rather die himself than face losing him.

"No. I don't have time-."

Jack turned to Fargo, eyes hard.

"Fargo, you know I'm right."

Nathan should have seen the ploy, letting him be distracted for the two seconds it took for Jack to grab the timer control and seal himself inside. Nathan slapped his hands against the chamber door uselessly as fear for Jack overtook him, his body surging, feeling muscles contract and senses heighten in a too familiar way.

"Jack! Open this now!" he snarled, sharpening teeth catching at his lower lip and drawing blood.

If that was not bad enough, in those last few seconds the bastard looked him straight in the eye.

"It was never Allison. I love you."

"Ja...!"

Before Nathan could even finish saying his name he knew it was too late. Jack's face froze, tear-filled blue eyes boring into his with a gentle, sad smile full of regret gracing his lips. As he watched, Jack's body dissolved into a billions quantum particles that swirled as if caught in an unseen breeze before time erased them - erased him - and Nathan howled in grief.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Nathan's thoughts returned to the present.

Time had passed for Jack but Nathan had no idea how long he had spent out of time in 1947. At least one year. Maybe two? Presumably long enough to pretend he had never given his 'death bed' confession of love - if he was even the same Jack who had stepped into the time laboratory that day. Alternate time lines, parallel universes, quantum anomalies. Each of these could have brought back a different Jack to the one who had professed his love to Nathan seconds before being erased from this timeline.

The very fact that he was erased also called into question his presence now. Theoretically, it shouldn't be possible unless he was another Jack. Not his Jack. Not the one who had haunted Nathan's thoughts, causing him to cancel his wedding plans as he finally questioned the real reason why he was marrying Allison.

Not the one who had said, "I love you."

Nathan cursed under his breath as all the grief from that day crashed down on him again, feeling his body react to the memory in a way that had not dulled over time. Unable to concentrate, he decided to go home early. He hit the intercom to tell Fargo to hold his calls and cancel any remaining meetings, but then recalled he hadn't seen Fargo at the reception desk when he came into his office only minutes earlier. In fact he hadn't seen Fargo since earlier that morning, which was unusual but not unheard of. It was still Founders' Day and Fargo liked to dress up for the occasion and join in the festivities.

Checking his calendar, he had only one more meeting to attend and it was something he could easily put off so he sent a quick apology and rescheduled the meeting for the following day. He caught sight of Jack as he reached his BMW, though Jack was too caught up in a discussion with Sheriff Lupo to notice him. Sliding into the driver's seat, Nathan watched, smiling faintly as he read their body language, almost guessing the nature of the discussion from the shark-grin on Lupo's face.

Absentmindedly he rubbed at the ache in his chest as he stared at Jack, quickly looking away when some sixth sense caused Jack to glance in his direction.

Starting the engine, Nathan pulled away smoothly, deliberately keeping his eyes focused forward as he passed Jack. Nathan waited until he was out of sight around a bend in the road before pressing down harder on the gas and picking up speed, not wanting to face Jack right now should he get pulled over for speeding by Lupo.

Once home he found himself bouncing from one room to the next, unable to settle, and Nathan knew the best way to clear his head was to run, wild and free.

Taking off his clothes, he hung up his suit to avoid any creases and threw the rest into the laundry basket before heading downstairs barefoot and naked. Between one step and the next he began to transform - just as he had started to do in the time chamber that day - snarling against the brief pain as his wolf DNA dominated the human. It took less than a minute before he was shaking his dark, thickly-furred body and padding across the garden to where it backed onto Eureka's woodland expanse. Moments later he was running, feeling the power of his muscles pumping as he dodged and jumped around trees and shrubs.

Thoughts of Jack still threatened to crowd his mind but viciously, he pushed away the dark memories of loss and focused momentarily on the living, breathing man - on the familiar scent, sound, and sight that he thought he'd never know again, and on guarded blue eyes holding secrets that Jack refused to spill.

Nathan caught a different scent on the air and decided to let the wolf feed his hunger for once, losing himself in a chase that led to snapping up his prey.

Later he might feel regret, especially if he transformed back to human before he had digested the meal, but he had no intention of reverting back until he had enjoyed the full freedom of his wolf form. The rabbit was consumed quickly and he cleaned his muzzle as best he could in the stream running through the woods.

He tensed as his sharper hearing caught the distant howl of the pack calling for him and for a moment he debated on joining them, but the alpha in him was strong in both human and wolf form. He howled back, slowly loping in the direction of his pack's answering calls, letting them come running to him. It didn't take long before he was surrounded and he cataloged each of the members of his pack, not surprised some were missing. Their human lives often took precedence unless Nathan commanded they attend, and he had given no such orders this day. Still, he had expected to see Fargo, who rarely missed an opportunity to gain his approval, and perhaps Jo, who came from a long wolf lineage and who loved her wolf form more than her human.

He explained her absence away easily enough, unable to hold in a small growl as he imagined her with Jack. However, knowing she was besotted by a human who remained on the periphery of the pack, it was more likely she was with Zane right now, trying to win him over. Eventually Zane might agree to join them but the law was clear in that no human could be transformed without their full consent.

Nathan wasn't surprised by Allison's absence for she rarely ran with him these days.

Just like their pure bred counterparts, werewolves tended to mate for life, but Allison's mate - Kevin's father - had died tragically many years before. The human in her had wanted companionship, and having never found his mate among other werewolves, the human in him was just as weak in needing affection. He truly thought they could find happiness together if just as humans, but it had ended in a bitter divorce after a few short years, perhaps because they could not fully commit to each other.

Nathan still craved closeness to another being, and he missed their runs together as wolves almost as much, but he would have moved on if the alpha in him had not resented the interest shown in her by Jack - a mere human. After the time incident, he learned that was a half-truth, that he'd been deceiving himself into thinking it was all about having Allison when it was always Jack on his mind. After Jack's death he and Allison had a beautiful cub/child between them, and he loved Jenna beyond measure, but Jack's confession of love in those last moments had swept those lies aside, and all of Nathan's reasons for wanting Allison had died with him.

Jack had been human, but in hindsight Nathan knew Jack should have been his life mate, and only time would tell if this Jack could ever replace the one Nathan had unknowingly loved and lost.

Kevin came up to nuzzle him affectionately, breaking him away from his spiraling thoughts of Jack, and he was glad he had held onto this relationship at least. As a group the pack began to run and Nathan felt his spirits lifted by their joyous yips and cries as he ran hard and fast beside them.

When he returned to human form many hours later, his mind had quieted for the first time that day.

****

Jack looked around the small but comfortable two-bedroom house assigned to him while they - and again, by they he meant Nathan - decided what to do with him. He was already missing S.A.R.A.H. but after his death in this timeline, apparently Fargo had moved into the bunker. Fortunately, Fargo had not been so quick to run to his old house so he had discovered the difference in the timeline before he brought suspicion upon himself.

Jack hadn't taken Fargo for the floral-pattern type though, and he wondered if, like Henry, he wasn't on his own in this timeline. He hoped that wasn't the case because Fargo had too many tell-tale twitches when he tried to lie, and that would doom the rest of the group. More likely the floral was S.A.R.A.H.'s touch.

He wandered about, opening up cupboards and drawers to see what was inside, and found the refrigerator well stocked with some of his favorite foods, including beer, so someone was obviously trying to make him feel at home here. Jack snagged one, figuring he deserved a beer after the stress of this day, and headed upstairs, drinking straight from the opened bottle.

Despite everything, he thought Nathan might be joking about the deputy position until he found a uniform waiting for him, hanging up inside his bedroom closet. It was just like Nathan to want to see him taken down a peg or two but Jack bit back on the small wave of resentment, understanding how Jo must have felt when he waltzed in and took over the Sheriff's position.

"Guess that wasn't a joke," he muttered.

He closed the closet door and took a final long pull from the beer to empty the bottle before heading into the bathroom. One hot shower later, Jack padded back into his bedroom with just a towel wrapped around his middle, slinging it aside to self-consciously pull on sleep wear of boxers and a soft t-shirt found in the center drawer of the bureau. He climbed into bed, closing his eyes but not expecting to get much sleep as his thoughts went instantly to Nathan Stark and the miracle of his existence in this timeline.

"Need to get a grip," he murmured.

At least he had dealt with his erection in the shower, knowing he couldn't rely on his old and trusted method for putting himself in the right frame of mind to sleep while in bed because he was damned if he was going to give anyone watching him even more of a floor show. Though it was just as likely the bathroom was also bugged.

He wasn't expecting to get a good night's sleep, but perhaps not so surprisingly he slept really well, without the nightmares that had plagued him since Nathan's death. Over time those nightmares had changed to add regret to the mix of grief and guilt, especially once the denial slipped away and he realized exactly what he had lost that day. To his subconscious, it didn't matter that he hadn't understood his true feelings on the day in question, he was still riddled with regret for letting Nathan go to his death without knowing how much he was loved by him. Yet even if he had been aware of his true feelings at the time, Jack knew he would have kept silent because he didn't think Nathan was going to die that day; he hadn't believed Nathan would take such a risk with his own life.

Too exhausted after days without proper sleep, and hurting from injuries sustained in other time loops, he really hadn't understood enough about the science at the time. Perhaps in this timeline he'd sustained one less blow to the head, or one less debilitating injury, able to keep his wits about him so he could take Nathan's place inside the chamber.

He showered and shaved, staring at his reflection in the mirror for a moment when he noticed how some of the stress lines had smoothed away while he slept like a baby for the first time in over a year.

The uniform fitted perfectly, as if made to measure. He smoothed down the shirt and sighed. Global Dynamics would spin a suitable resurrection story for him once they decided he wasn't a risk, and maybe then they would let him see Zoe. For now he had to be content with video and photos taken of Zoe over the past year.

It wasn't enough but it was all he had.

Jo pulled up outside and hit the horn impatiently, so he grabbed his utility belt and walked out quickly, sliding into the passenger seat. She had that same shark-grin as she took in his deputy name badge but after all the times he had taunted her in the past, he knew he'd had that coming.

"Yeah, get it over with, Jo."

She laughed and he smiled back, shaking his head in good nature, because it wasn't her fault he'd managed to get himself killed in this alternate timeline.

When they reached the station she made up for some of her teasing by handing back the keys to his favorite Cherokee, as well as his favorite gun, which the other Jo had obviously kept after his death. Afterwards she gave him a shiny, seven-point, deputy badge. He decided he could do much worse so he nodded his thanks and pinned it on. They spent a few hours catching up on incidents around the town over the past year, which would also help Jo keep off the radar as far as Global Dynamics and the D.O.D. were concerned. Lunch time came around quickly.

"Let's go show your face in Cafe Diem." She indicated towards the street before heading out, and after a moment's hesitation, Jack followed.

As soon as he walked inside the cafe the place went silent. The lunchtime crowd froze with drinks or food halfway to their mouths, their eyes following him as he moved to the counter where Vincent had just set down two plates. He saw Vincent gasp, one hand flying to his chest.

"Vincent? Can I have the usual?"

"I heard the rumors but..."

Vincent stepped out from behind the counter, his eyes watery and mouth trembling, and before Jack could brace himself he was being pulled into a bear hug, feeling his ribs protest and his feet leave the ground. He wrapped his arms around Vincent, laughing softly, and gave Vincent a few awkward slaps before giving in to the inevitable and relaxing into the hug. It seemed to break the tension in the room and within moments Jack was surrounded by others, all of them trying to hug or touch him, all of them smiling brightly and chatting away animatedly. Apparently they had all heard rumors of his miraculous return but no one wanted to believe it until they saw him with their own eyes.

A few raised eyebrows at his deputy badge but no one voiced anything aloud, probably in case they upset Jo. No one liked to upset Jo Lupo.

Eventually the fuss died down and Jack grabbed his Vinspresso, smiling happily as Vincent set a greasy cheeseburger and fries on the counter in front of him without any complaint about Neanderthal tastes.

"On the house."

By the time Jack left the cafe word had spread, and he was greeted by someone with every step he took on his way back towards the Sheriff's Office. With all the fuss surrounding him he didn't notice Nathan until the Triplets moved aside. Nathan seemed to freeze, and for a moment Jack thought he looked choked up as his blue-green eyes ran the length of Jack's body, but then those gorgeous, piercing eyes settled on the deputy badge and his lips curled into a familiar smirk.

"Deputy," he stated in greeting, obviously wanting to rub it in, and Jack bit back on a retort, smiling tight-mouthed in response.

"What can I do for you, Stark?"

Nathan gave a half-shrug, still smirking. "Oh, I think you've done enough already."

"Yeah, well if you don't have any messes for me to clean up then I'll just head inside and sort out my desk."

He could see Nathan biting back on a grin as he walked past, wishing his stomach didn't flip excitedly whenever he saw the other man. He really was too old to be having all the symptoms of a teenage crush, especially on someone so unobtainable.

Except Nathan was not quite so unobtainable now, a tiny voice inside his mind insinuated, because up until two days ago, Nathan had been the one who had died saving the universe. Now he was alive and whole and... Oh God... Did Allison know? She had to know, and maybe that's why she had kept her distance since yesterday, wanting to get her feet firmly on the ground and her emotions in check before she inadvertently outed herself as a ' _replacement_ ' too.

Jo was on the phone when he entered so he caught only the final words.

"Okay, we'll be right there."

"Problem?"

"Henry needs to see us."

****

Nathan watched from a window seat inside Cafe Diem as Jo and Jack left the Sheriff's office, heading towards their respective vehicles. He couldn't resist following Jack's familiar figure, having almost forgotten how well he filled out the otherwise bland, beige uniform. The tunic shirt emphasized his broad shoulders and tapered down to a trim waist. The utility belt should have made him look bulkier but instead it framed the sweet curves of his ass and strong thighs. For a moment Nathan wondered what Jack would look like in wolf form, if he would be just as strong limbed and lithe. He wondered if Jack would look just as beautiful.

As the Cherokee passed the window, he momentarily caught Jack's eyes before Jack put all his attention back on the road. Jo followed close behind but as neither had the sirens or flashing lights activated, he guessed it wasn't an emergency.

Movement beside him made him look away from the street to where Vincent hovered.

"I don't know what you did to bring him back but... Thank you."

Before Nathan could remark that it had not been any of his doing, Vincent had bustled off to serve another customer. He knew he could easily take the kudos for Jack's safe return but the scientist within him refused to take credit where it was not due. It was unethical.

Until he discovered otherwise, Nathan favored the time travel scenario, especially as Jack had appeared in the middle of main street on Founder's Day, dressed in authentic 1947 clothing. Microbes, pollen and other particulates found in his clothing confirmed he'd come from 1947, and Nathan knew from Doctor Trevor Grant's research papers that he'd been working on the Einstein-Rosen Bridge Device in Camp Eureka around that time period. Though according to all the research papers, he and Einstein had never managed to get it to work, but Jack was living proof that they may have lied.

Except what if Grant's device didn't simply bridge time periods, but alternate realities too?

He knew Kevin had borrowed the original Bridge Device from the museum to use as a prop for Founder's Day, but Nathan tended not to believe in coincidences. Kevin was exceptionally bright with a higher I.Q. than Einstein's and Grant's, perhaps only a few points lower than his own. After Walter Perkins tachyon experiments went awry and almost destroyed the town, Kevin's interest in quantum physics had grown exponentially.

Perhaps Kevin had managed to take Grant and Einstein's work one step further and succeeded where they had seemingly failed or stalled.

He sighed. It was all conjecture at this point but it was possible Kevin activating the Bridge Device yesterday had linked it to the experiment back in 1947, forming the Einstein-Rosen Bridge between the two time periods. High sunspot activity yesterday might have also influenced the results, linking it to a parallel universe; Nathan was fairly certain he would find a similar event in 1947.

Whatever the case, it had returned Jack to him, and though he preferred to pretend otherwise, especially around Jack, he was eternally grateful.

Taggart slid in opposite him.

"G'day mate." He smiled widely. "It was a good run last night, though I guess Jo had a lot on her mind what with Carter's return. Or maybe she was preoccupied by someone else." He tapped the side of his nose, glancing towards the counter where Zane was settling down to eat today's special.

At one time Nathan thought Jo and Taggart would end up together. Certainly they'd sniffed around each other for a few months before deciding to try different partners.

Zane was a lone wolf even for a human, though recently he'd started to show more signs of interest in becoming part of a community - or pack. Like Jack, he was alpha wolf material, perhaps even a true alpha, though those were extremely rare. Nathan needed a successor in place should anything happen to him, but until Zane asked for the bite, he was off limits.

Only a true alpha could give the bite, but the punishment for turning a human against their will was harsh - a maximum of four years incarceration depending on the circumstances, stuck in a small cell with no freedom to turn and run. Nathan had heard of some werewolves going insane or losing the will to live under those conditions, and the very thought of not being able to run through the woods gave him a mental shudder of horror.

For this same reason he couldn't simply bite Jack and bring him into the pack. It had to be Jack's decision - if he ever found the courage to give that choice to Jack.

Taggart wandered off after a time and left Nathan alone to think about Jack Carter and a future that could now be theirs to share.

****

"We have a problem," Henry stated solemnly after convincing Jack he wasn't being spied upon inside Henry's garage.

"You mean bigger than me being dead?"

"Actually, yes. This isn't a parallel or alternate timeline. It's an alternate reality, and in this universe humans coexist with werewolves."

"Did you say... werewolves?!" Jack asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Jack. You and I are human, but Allison, Jo, and Fargo are.. were werewolves." Jack heard Allison's indrawn breath and Henry turned to her. "Sooner or later someone is going to notice you are no longer able to shape shift."

Jack's sixth sense started tingling when Jo remained silent, having expected her to be the one to laugh at the very idea of werewolves being real. As he looked at his former deputy he could tell she was holding something back and was desperate to tell someone.

"Jo?" he questioned, drawing out her name, and it It seemed a single word from Jack was all she needed as an excuse to cave in.

"Henry's mistaken."

"About the werewolves? Oh thank God! For a moment I thought-."

"No. About this being an alternate universe. Werewolves existed in our old timeline."

Jack scoffed, "I think you've been watching too many horror-."

"I'm a werewolf, and I come from a long line of werewolves, dating back more than twenty generations." She looked at each of them in turn. "Lupo? Wolf?"

Jack blinked. "I don't... Then why? How?" He was confused, wondering how she could have hidden this from them, though it would certainly explain why someone so small could be so strong and scrappy. "Huh!"

"The first thing we were taught from a cub was to never reveal ourselves to humans."

Henry wagged a finger. "Now that makes sense. Back in the Middle Ages, stories of shapeshifters, and werewolves in particular, were rife in Eastern Europe. According to local legends they were hunted down and slaughtered indiscriminately." He made a noncommittal hum and turned back to his computer. "In that case, when we went back to 1947 we must have changed something in the timeline and... Yes. Here it is." He tapped his screen. "Doctor Trevor Grant disappeared in 1947, and Einstein was convinced it had something to do with him being a werewolf so he started a movement to bring their plight into the public eye. Within a few years the first laws went through protecting werewolves, and at the same time, other laws were brought in to protect humans."

"Grant was a werewolf?" Jack exclaimed.

"So I don't need to hide any longer?" Jo asked.

Henry smiled softly at Jo. "No."

A beautiful smile lit up her face in response, as if a huge weight had been lifted, but then that was some hefty secret to have carried around for her entire life.

"Um... We still have a problem. I'm not a werewolf," Fargo stated, holding up his hand like a kid seeking attention from a teacher.

They all looked to Allison. She shook her head before they all turned back to Henry for an explanation, knowing he would have done some research on werewolves before calling them to the meeting.

"There are two ways of becoming a werewolf. First, you can be born one," he said, indicating Jo, "And second you can be turned by a bite from a werewolf."

Jo cleared her throat as she interrupted. "That's not... It can't be _any_ werewolf bite. It has to come from a true alpha."

"So there are... not-true alphas?" Jack asked, slightly confused, and Jo smiled, obviously deciding to teach them all a little about the werewolf pack now she was free to speak for the first time in her life.

"Werewolves are not like real wolves. Because of the human element, we don't follow the same pack rules. There's no favored alpha pairing who are the only ones allowed to mate and breed. A pack can consist of dozens of alphas and norms - betas - but only a rare few can give the bite to make new werewolves. True alphas."

"So the pack are family?" Allison asked.

"Yes... and no. Humans move between groups... packs... constantly. Family, work colleagues, friends... and werewolves are no different. The pack leader at any one time is just the most dominant one present, even if that's a beta. Though if there is a true alpha in the area then he or she tends to hold sway over all the werewolves in the vicinity even when they're not present."

Jack scrubbed the back of his head with one hand. "Okay. So if Fargo and Allison were not werewolves by birth then some true alpha must have bitten them at some point."

"Oh my God. Jenna!" Allison looked shocked. "I thought it was a trick of the light when her incisors lengthened momentarily. She's a werewolf."

"Kevin is too," Henry stated, showing Allison the file he'd pulled up while they were discussing werewolf pack dynamics. "Kevin's father was a true alpha and you consented to the change to be his full mate as human and wolf."

"But Jenna is Nathan's."

"Nathan's a second generation werewolf. His grandfather accepted the bite not long after werewolves came out of the shadows." Henry turned. "And he was the one who gave you the bite, Fargo. He's a true alpha."

Jack looked askance at Jo. "So was Stark...? Back in...?"

"Yes. He was our pack alpha."

WOW! he thought. Strangely Jack wasn't that surprised because there had always been something big, bad, and wolfish about Nathan.

"And Jenna...?" Allison asked.

"No," Jo answered. "Both parents have to be werewolves for their offspring to be werewolves. If one parent is human then the children are human. Human is the dominant gene."

Jack squinted. "And by that you mean?"

"We're born in human form and it takes a few years before we can master the change."

He nodded his head slowly. It made perfect sense, otherwise someone would have proved werewolves existed long before now. Except someone - Einstein - had proved it, and not only that, he had brought them out of the shadows to live openly alongside the rest of humanity. He took a moment to scrub both hands against the back of his head as another thought formed.

"So are there werecats? Or were...horses?"

Jo rolled her eyes but Jack thought it was a fair question.

"Technically, those would probably be called centaurs," Henry stated gently. "Half man, half horse," he added when Jack simply stared at him. "Never mind." He shook his head, smiling softly. "As we can't exactly ask Nathan to give them both the bite, it doesn't solve our problem with Allison and Fargo."

"And Grant," Jack added firmly.

"Doctor Grant?" This time Henry looked confused.

"He stole my jacket with the cellphone, and went missing from 1947, which means-."

"Which means he could be here in Eureka. Right now," Allison finished. "And if he's taken in for questioning, he could give up all our names."

"Then we have to find him... except I'm being watched so when I say 'we' I kind of mean 'you'," Jack waggled his finger to include all of the others.

****

Before Nathan could leave the cafe a man entered, and considering it was no longer Founder's Day, his attire caught Nathan's eye immediately. Admittedly Eureka was renowned for the eccentricities of its genius inhabitants but it was too much of a coincidence that this man looked exactly like the photos of the long-missing Doctor Trevor Grant, here in Eureka just one day after Jack's miraculous return.

Nathan moved up beside the man as Grant attracted Vincent's attention, speaking in a quaint British accent. His scent was of werewolf, providing further confirmation of his identity, so Nathan had little doubt this was the missing friend of Albert Einstein, whose disappearance had ended centuries of hiding for the werewolves.

"Doctor Trevor Grant, I presume?"

The man tensed for a moment before relaxing, turning a charismatic smile on Nathan.

"Sorry, Sport, you have me mistaken for someone else."

"Hmm. I don't think I do."

Nathan took in the man's scent deliberately, surprised that Grant was an ordinary alpha as history had painted him as someone - something - different. He waited for Grant to register his status as a true alpha, noticing the slight flare of the man's nostrils as he took in Nathan's scent. Grant glanced around, eyes tight with the same paranoia that used to grip the werewolves before they came out of the shadows. His eyes fell a fraction, acknowledging Nathan's natural dominance.

"I believe we have a personal acquaintance. Someone you already met back in 1947," Nathan stated.

"Ms. Blake?"

Nathan straightened fractionally, hopefully covering his surprise. He had expected Grant to mention Jack and decided to play along to see where this line of questioning took him.

"Yes. Allison."

"Beautiful woman. Lovely pins."

Nathan smiled because on that they could most definitely agree, and he motioned back towards an empty booth. "Please, join me for lunch."

"I'd love to, old chap, but I find myself short of funds."

"Then allow me."

Grant slid into one side of the booth and Nathan the other, leaving Vincent a little bemused as he took a fresh order for lunch for the stranger and more coffee for Nathan. By the time Grant had finished his meal, Nathan knew all about the time travelers' adventure. Part of him grieved at this revelation, knowing his Jack was lost forever, but what he had seen so far of this new Jack Carter was almost identical to the version they had lost. For now it was enough to give him hope, as long as he could protect the time travelers from sanctions.

As he headed to Global Dynamics with Grant for more formal questioning, he worked out a way to get the others to come to Global as well, hopefully without arousing too much suspicion elsewhere.

****

Jo answered her phone and frowned as she listened to the person on the other end, finally agreeing to their request before ending the call. She looked at Jack.

"There's a problem at Global. Stark wants us there immediately."

Jack nodded, wondering what could have gone wrong now. "I could go while you-."

"He wants both of us."

At the same time Allison got a call for a medical emergency, but as she was the Director of Medical Research in this timeline, they knew she could no longer hide away at home until they figured out what to do about her no longer being a werewolf. Fargo squeaked when he answered a call from Nathan, who was demanding to know why he wasn't at work. Apparently he was still Nathan's assistant, though with a slight promotion bump enabling him to see some of the Section Five projects. Henry's phone rang almost straight after and that was too much of a coincidence.

"I'll be right there, Nathan." Henry looked troubled as he closed the call. "This could all be a normal Global emergency but..."

"But there's a chance he's figured it out," Jack added.

He straightened, recalling that day when Nathan had considered Carl Carlson a threat and brought a security team with him into town, and how badly that had ended for him after he was hit by a deflected shot. Even if they made a run for it he knew they wouldn't get far with all of Global's technology tracking them, plus he couldn't see Allison abandoning Kevin and Jenna.

"I don't think we have a lot of choice... and if Stark felt threatened by us he would have sent half of Global's security team to pick us up." Jack smiled softly, "Hard though this is to say, I think we have to have a little faith in him," he said, reminding Henry of his own words on another occasion.

Henry nodded and one by one they left Henry's garage, quickly making their way to Global.

****

Nathan watched from his office as, separately, the group made their way across the atrium, Jo with Jack, and the others seemingly alone but Fargo gave furtive glances towards the others, proving something was up between them. He sat down behind his desk, chair facing the floor to ceiling glass panels overlooking the atrium, and waited until all had filed into his office before swinging his chair back around to face them.

"Seems we have a problem," he started.

"Yeah, I can see it from here," Jack said with a slight twist of sarcasm in his voice that made Nathan barely resist smiling.

Until Jack was gone, he hadn't realized how much he had looked forward to their barbs and sniping each day. He thought it was because he usually bested Jack, making him look the village idiot, but now he knew it was so much more than that. He liked the way Jack never bowed down to him like some sycophant, how Jack made him earn his respect, and how their interaction had changed over time to something that might have been called friendship if they hadn't been too stubborn to admit it to each other until it was too late.

Despite all those present, his lupine senses attuned to Jack immediately, breathing him in under the floral scent of Allison's perfume and Henry's citrus aftershave. Until yesterday he hadn't realized how, subconsciously, he had missed Jack's scent, and now it filled the room, ending any doubt he might have had about his decision to bring them all in quietly rather than doing his duty. He could not hand them over to the D.O.D. for sanctions without losing Jack too, and that was out of the question.

He forced himself away from the comfort of Jack's scent to focus on the others. Jo and Henry were no different but there was something off about Allison and Fargo, something missing. Ignoring Jack's sarcastic retort, Nathan smiled wolfishly when he figured out what was wrong with them. He hadn't needed to check through the history books to see what major difference lay between 1947 and the present day. The disappearance of Grant had paved the way for all his kind to transform openly and run carefree through the woods with the rest of the pack, ending centuries of hiding. It was a momentous event, celebrated on the first blood moon of each calendar year. Until then Werewolf Law was absolute, punishable by death, so if Einstein had not revealed their existence both he and Kevin's father would have kept their abilities hidden from Allison and borne human children, and Nathan would have been forced to watch Fargo suffer rather than save him with the bite - after gaining his consent, of course.

"Perhaps I should rephrase that. It seems YOU have a problem, and I might be your only solution."

Nathan focused hard on Fargo, knowing he would break under his glare, and sure enough...

"It wasn't our fault! Kevin was..."

"Fargo!" Allison warned but Fargo kept going.

"...playing with Grant's bridge device and we ended up in 1947, and when we got back everything had changed."

"I know."

"You know? About the time travel?" Henry asked, looking a little fearful, but Nathan turned to Jack.

"You lied to me, Jack."

"No. You made an assumption. I just didn't correct you."

"Lying by omission is still lying," he stated softly and Jack looked away in guilt, but Nathan relented.

He pushed past the grief from finally accepting he had lost his own Jack forever, recalling how hard it had been for the original Jack to mislead anyone, and knowing he would only do so to protect others. Nathan could never fault his Jack for his loyalty to his friends, and to the people of the town. It was why Jack had managed to slide under the skin of a town full of geniuses and become so beloved that they had mourned his loss hard, and why so many had greeted this Jack at Cafe Diem earlier, wanting to touch and hug him just to be certain he was no figment of their imaginations.

From what Nathan had seen so far, this Jack was no different to the original in all the ways that truly mattered. Neither Jack was a genius but their empathy for others was off the chart. Both understood people without the clinical detachment of professionals like Beverly Barlow, and reacted with genuine emotion rather than with well-taught but fake empathy. It was a special gift.

Henry sighed. "I still don't understand how you could possibly know-."

Nathan pressed a key on his computer desk. "Send in Doctor Grant."

As one, the other's all looked to Jack but he had no answers for them, giving a tiny shrug of his shoulders and lowering his eyes in defeat. The almost submissive gesture sent a flutter of desire straight through Nathan but, fortunately, he was distracted from prurient thoughts as Fargo slumped into one of the seats placed in front of his desk.

"Grant," Jack said flatly in greeting as the man entered.

Nathan saw the slightly hostile look Jack cast in Grant's direction, deciding there was no love lost there. He already suspected Grant of some chicanery in obtaining a cell phone so he could be transported into the future with the others. From the dark look he suspected it had been Jack's phone he'd stolen, which would have left Jack abandoned in 1947. Nathan clamped down hard on the well of anger filling him at the thought.

By the end of the first hour Nathan knew he had already made one major decision; he was not going to allow Henry and Fargo to work on Grant's Bridge Device so they could try to ' _go home_ ' as there was no guarantee they would not cause a paradox that could rip time apart. They couldn't even return to Founder's Day to stop Kevin from switching on the machine as their original timeline had already been erased by the events in 1947, so either it would not make any difference, or they would come face to face with themselves and possibly cause a universe-ending paradox.

"We cannot reproduce the conditions that sent you to 1947 and brought you all back. Not for another twenty-seven years according to my calculations," Nathan stated.

He handed them over to the Grant, Henry and Fargo, and saw each nod in acceptance of that fact as they quickly read through the papers. Nathan could tell Grant was happy with the news and though sending Grant back to 1947 was pleasant enough thought under the circumstances, his disappearance had changed the world - at least for those of Nathan's kind, the werewolves.

Plus who was to say their autistic Kevin hadn't simply corrected an unstable timeline emanating from when Weinbrenner's experiment had caused time to loop. Henry had mentioned their Kevin had been connected to the Akashic Field through the artifact at one point. He might have seen time splintering and used the Bridge Device to stabilize time before it fractured completely.

All of this was conjecture but Nathan had spent a lot of time working on temporal equations and theories in the hope of finding a way to bring Jack home. Mathematically he had seen so many scenarios that proved how dangerous it was to meddle with time. He said as much to the others.

"This is why time experiments are forbidden, and those who engage in time travel are sanctioned to avoid polluting or destroying the timeline."

He thought he saw a look of guilt chase across Henry's face but decided to pursue that another day.

While talking with them he reached a second decision. 

"The only way to avoid sanctions is to cover your tracks. Fargo and I can build Grant a new identity in this modern world - if you're willing to trust us." He looked to Grant for confirmation and gained a nod. "But that still leaves one major problem." He turned to Fargo and Allison. "If it was just Jack, I could convince the D.O.D. that Jack had simply been moved forward in time by Weinbrenner's photon decelerator and was therefore not a risk or danger to this timeline."

Jo understood immediately, but then she was a werewolf like him. "But too many know Fargo and Allison as werewolves." She turned to the others. "Werewolves have a greater sense of smell. I'm surprised no one else has yet noticed the difference in them."

Allison looked pensive. "Kevin was on a sleepover last night so I've not seen anyone other than Jenna... but Jenna's been acting strange around me. She's only young but I think she knows I'm not the same person anymore." She looked to Fargo. "If we want to protect the others and remain free from sanctions ourselves, we'll have to become werewolves." She looked back at Nathan for confirmation, and he nodded tightly.

Fargo paled at the thought.

Nathan didn't have a problem with giving Fargo the bite. After all he had done so barely four months ago after Fargo was injured in a laboratory explosion. Unlike in the legends, werewolves were not impervious to injury and could be killed by ordinary bullets or knives, but they healed much faster, giving them what appeared to be magical powers. Silver bullets held special significance only because silver interfered with the healing process, slowly it down to human levels.

Nathan's bite had accelerated the healing process for Fargo, quickly repairing the burns covering half his body. Fargo would still have lived even without the bite, but he would have faced months of painful surgeries and skin grafts... and Larry made a terrible assistant so Nathan had an ulterior motive at the time.

Allison was a different matter. They had been husband and wife in human form, and he had fathered a daughter with her. He loved her, and he loved Kevin and Jenna, but this version of Allison had never bonded as a wolf to another alpha. This meant she was free to bond with him, and part of him was afraid that if he gave her the bite then a wolf mating bond might form between them automatically due to their former human relationship - and the cub she had borne to him - Jenna. He knew he was being irrational but he had already lost Jack once and he was scared of losing him again just when there was a chance to have him forever.

He frowned as he was dragged back from those morbid thoughts by Fargo pulling back the neck of his T-shirt to reveal his throat.

"Okay, do it."

Nathan raised both eyebrows and smiled in amusement. "Not a vampire, Fargo."

"You mean those exist too?" Jack looked wide eyed with horror.

"No."

"Oh thank God." Jack visibly relaxed.

Fargo gave a strained smile. "Um. So how do we... you...?"

Nathan moved to the wall at the back of his office and pressed on a space below the bank of monitors. A door opened and he removed a medium sized medical kit, handing it to Allison.

"Take off your over shirt," he ordered Fargo gently and waited while Fargo complied. "I can give you a local anesthetic to make it less painful." He looked to Allison, nodding, and waited while she prepared a syringe.

Despite plenty of requests, Nathan had only ever bitten one other person before today - and that was the original Fargo - so he knew exactly where to place the bite to avoid anyone becoming suspicious. Most of those requests had come from bed partners romanticizing about werewolves and the alpha bond, and though he had enjoyed taking his pleasure with them for a while as a human, he'd had no interest in them as a life mate. They moved on quickly when he refused.

A year ago, before Jack professed his love with his last words, Nathan might have chosen that path with Allison if she had not already mated with an alpha in the past. Now all he wanted was Jack.

"Left arm," he stated and watched as Allison gave Fargo the local.

Once he was certain the area was numb enough, he began the transformation, halting it partway between human and wolf form before biting hard enough into Fargo's forearm to break the skin. Blood flowed into his mouth instantly, the metallic taste stirring the wolf, and Nathan fought not to change completely. He looked across the room and saw the others riveted on him. It took a lot of willpower to draw away and regain his fully human form, accepting a damp cloth to wipe the blood from his lips. His fear of Jack turning away in disgust or in horror faded with the curiosity and awe so apparent in his wide, blue eyes.

"I guess it's my turn next," Allison stated bravely but her voice held the slightest quiver, and the scent of her fear increased as she prepared another syringe.

Nathan hesitated. She did not want this, not with so little knowledge of what this change would entail, but Nathan knew she was not doing this for herself or even for the others present; she was doing this for the sake of her children. It did not help that he was still battling his own irrational fears but he had little choice either. He had to do this to keep Jack safe, for if Allison was revealed as an impostor then all of them were lost - including Jack. He couldn't let that happen no matter the cost to himself.

He nodded.

"Where...?"

Damn, he'd forgotten about that. He knew where her first husband had bitten her, having seen the bite mark many times over the years, but the bite was where it could easily be hidden rather than on show like a trophy. Allison had always walked the conservative, safe path.

"Just below the right hip. He touched the place on his body, feeling embarrassed on her behalf.

"Perhaps we should take Fargo home," Jo stated, and quickly herded Fargo towards the door.

"That sounds like a good idea," Henry added, following her. "Jack? Grant?"

Jack was looking between him and Allison with a barely concealed but all-too-familiar, annoyed expression. Until that last moment in the time laboratory, Nathan had believed Jack was jealous of him being with Allison, but he'd been wrong then and he hoped he was wrong now.

"Jack?" Henry called again, and Jack gave a small shake of his head before turning away.

Nathan watched him leave, starting when he felt Allison's slim hand on his arm.

"Nathan?"

He tore his eyes away from the closed door and smiled down at her in reassurance. She smiled back up at him but he saw sadness in her eyes.

"He thinks he wants me, but only because he doesn't think he can have you."

"Allison-."

"In this timeline he was the one who died... and yet I am still bringing up two children on my own." Her smile warmed at his discomfort. "Don't waste this second chance with him, Nathan," she ordered, and then straightened. "Now, let's get this done so I can go back to my kids."

She pulled aside her skirt just enough to give herself the local and for Nathan room to bite in the right place. He tried to be as gentle as possible but still heard her soft gasp of pain. He looked away afterwards, reverting back to full human and taking a quick moment to assess himself physically as he wiped away the blood from his mouth. He had once asked his father how he would know if he had alpha bonded, and his father's response was simply, "You will know." 

Nathan felt nothing different about himself, with no new stirrings of desire for Allison. Instead when he thought of Jack, with his blue eyes and open smile, his heart skipped a beat. He sighed in relief, knowing his fears of bonding with Allison had been groundless after all.

"What happens next," she asked, and he smiled.

"Don't worry. I'll be here for you every step of the way."

When the pack ran through the woods later that night, he would make certain both Fargo and Allison ran with them.

****

Jack followed the others out of Global, still reeling from the powerful emotions that had filled him when he realized the intimacy Nathan would have with Allison. The hardest part was he was no longer certain of whom he was jealous - Allison or Nathan.

"Oh, who am I kidding," he mumbled under his breath, ignoring a sideways glance from Jo.

At least now he understood how she managed to overhear his under-the-breath mutterings so often; she had wolf hearing.

He was jealous of Allison, wishing he was sharing that intimacy with Nathan instead of her. It was pathetic even by his standards, especially as he'd been panting after her like a love-sick puppy from the moment he stepped into this town. Or so it had seemed. He should have known better. He should have realized he'd imprinted on her purely because he hadn't wanted to lose Nathan to her. He really was that stupid sometimes, and Abby would be laughing so hard by now if he'd been one of her clients. It's likely she would have seen through the denial and misplaced love and aggression if they hadn't spent so much time arguing over Zoe during her one trip to Eureka - although he was still unsure if her comment about Nathan and Allison hadn't been a barb aimed at him.

He was surprised Barlow hadn't picked up on it, but then she'd had more pressing matters on her mind at the time - like sabotage, murder, betrayal, espionage and being a Class A bitch. He bristled, feeling a little guilty at having such negative thoughts about someone but - yeah - she really was the worst human being he'd ever met. More of a monster than any werewolf.

"I feel strange," Fargo piped up, and he did look a little pale.

"It's the bite," Grant answered.

"Another fallacy is only turning on the full moon," Jo added. "We can change anytime, and the bite works fast. Another few hours and Fargo should be able to shift too."

"That quickly," Henry exclaimed and Jack could see he was fascinated.

Jack had to admit that once he got over the whole idea of people turning into wolves being fact rather than B-movie horror, he was equally fascinated. Watching Nathan partially shift to give the bite was creepy and yet strangely erotic. His blue-green eyes had become a piercing green, like the purest emerald with a light shining from behind. His eyes had glowed, boring straight into Jack. His dark curls and beard had thickened and straightened, the almost-black fur sleek and glossy, shimmering in the overhead lights of the office.

Jack had wanted to see more. He had wanted to witness Nathan in his full wolf form, his fingers itching to run through the soft, sable fur. he glanced across at Jo.

"Does it hurt? Shifting," he clarified in case she thought he was asking for the bite, and Jo grinned wide.

"Yes, but it's a good pain."

He believed her.

****

The next few weeks passed without incident as they all fell into their new roles, and Nathan had even brought Zoe back to Eureka the previous weekend, surprising Jack by the unexpected kindness. He smiled when he thought back to their reunion and how she had pummeled his chest hard with her fists before collapsing into his arms and holding onto him so tight. At first she'd refused to let go of him, crying so hard her mascara had run, staining his t-shirt. He didn't care though. Having spent a year grieving for Nathan in his own timeline - even though he had firmly denied it at the time - Jack could readily understand her reaction to seeing her own father again, alive and whole.

He was so glad that she was the same Zoe; his delinquent girl who had grown into a beautiful, clever young woman. She was his pride and joy.

He'd hated watching her leave on Sunday evening but she had classes to attend, so he'd hugged her close and kissed her on top of her head, feeling the softness of her hair against his lips. She hadn't wanted to leave either, and he knew she was afraid of losing him again, but he wasn't planning on going anywhere. He told her as much and smiled wryly in memory of her response.

"You hadn't planned on going anywhere last time, dad... but you did."

Now it was late afternoon on Tuesday, with only ten minutes left to go before his shift ended, and a big game on the television that evening. One of the benefits of this new timeline was all the games he could re-watch with subtle differences in play and scores. There was even a rule over the number of werewolves allowed to play per team to limit the advantage of one team over another due to their heightened senses, strength, and reflexes. He frowned in dismay when the phone started ringing. Jack eyed it with caution, looking across at Jo and engaging in a silent battle of wills, except he was no longer the sheriff. Eventually he had to give in.

"Oh, come on, Jo. I only have ten minutes left."

"Answer the call, Deputy," she ordered, and he sighed in exasperation, realizing it was payback for all those occasions when he'd done the same to her.

"I really hate you sometimes," he muttered. "You're so mean."

She grinned triumphantly as he picked up the call, laughing softly.

"Hold on. Where? Fine. We'll head out there and take a look." He replaced the phone in its cradle.

"We?"

"Some kids are messing about in the woods near Hawking Lane."

"You can't handle a bunch of kids on your own?" She raised one eyebrow pointedly.

"Oh come on. You know those woods like the back of your... paw." He grimaced. "At least now I know why."

She grinned shark-like, crossing her arms defiantly and leaning back comfortably in her seat, as if she planned to be there for some time yet.

"Fine. I'm going." Jack mumbled under his breath about tyrannical bosses as he pulled on his jacket and buckled his utility belt before heading out, ignoring her renewed snigger. "But I'm heading home straight after."

"You do that," she called after him.

The sun was already low in the sky by the time he reached the woods out back of Hawking Lane. There were a couple of old laboratories further in, used by some biologist or botanist like Seth in the old timeline but they stood empty now. The door of the first building stood slightly ajar so Jack shone his light into the darkened corridor but he could see nothing amiss. No one had been there in a long time. He walked slowly along the overgrown path leading towards the other building, playing the light into the trees that crowded in from both sides. The sun was setting now and the temperature was starting to drop, making him wish he'd brought along his gloves and a thicker jacket. He reached the second laboratory and all looked intact but his spidey-sense was tingling.

Just as he was about to turn away he heard a noise followed by some quickly muffled giggles.

"Okay, whoever's in there, come on out. Don't make me come in after you."

Jack heard the distinctive sound of another door or window opening in the distance followed by the crash of bodies moving fast through the undergrowth beneath the trees. He raced around the outside of the laboratory frowning when he found a small trail of clothes leading into the woods.

"What the...?"

He picked up the first item. It was the sort of t-shirt he'd seen on kids at Tesla High so he checked in with Jo.

"Just kids having way too much fun." He paused for a long moment, grinning at this small way of getting back at her, imagining her grinding her teeth in annoyance as she waited for him to finish. "Over," he finally added.

Her tone was terse. "Fine. Over and out."

Gathering up the clothing as he walked along, still smiling, he paused for a moment to remove a girl's bra from where it hung on a tree branch, holding it aloft between thumb and forefinger with a grimace of disgust. By now he was quite a way into the woods and struggling beneath two sets of clothing, including sneakers.

"Oh now that is just..."

He groaned at the girl's panties hanging obscenely from another branch just out of reach. Looking around, Jack dumped the armful of clothing onto the ground and stepped forward carefully. He was standing on the edge of a steep slope filled with trees. Reaching out his fingers barely brushed the panties so he slid his foot forward just a fraction more, leaning out.

He gasped in shock as the edge gave way under his feet, hands grabbing futilely for something to hold onto but the thin branch slid through his fingers, lacerating his palm in the process... and then he was falling, body rolling out of control as he bounced from one tree to the next, feeling the sharp pain as his arm got caught between his body and a tree root during the fall. He came to a halt close to the bottom, slamming at speed into a thicker trunk, which knocked the breath out of him.

He lay still for a moment, trying to regain his breath before he tried to move, crying out as the pain ripped through both his arm and abdomen. Jack knew both feelings all too well, recalling a car wreck and the pain as he crawled to where Angela had been thrown through the windshield, partially numbed by shock. A dislocated shoulder had ended his promising baseball career as a pitcher, losing him a coveted scholarship. He figured he had dislocated it again, and he could feel the way his organs shifted from internal injuries, probably from when he hit that last tree.

Jack looked up the steep slope and knew he'd never make it back up with these injuries. He felt along his utility belt but most items had been torn away in the fall leaving him without a weapon, flashlight, or more importantly a way to call for help. It was dark at the bottom of the slope, caught in the shadows beneath the pine trees. Looking up he could see stars appearing in the gaps in the canopy.

"This is so not good," he murmured.

He tried to picture where he was in relation to the town and figured Eureka was about five or six miles east of his position but he couldn't be certain as he hadn't been paying enough attention as he walked along the half-concealed track gathering up clothing. That was a thought. Maybe the kids were still here although... naked? He could live with that if they went and got help.

"Hey! Is anyone out there? I need help!"

His voice was far weaker than he anticipated and he doubted his cry for help had traveled further than twenty feet in all directions.

He listened but heard nothing. Then it struck him that the kids were likely werewolves, which would explain the scattered clothes, and could be miles away by now, though they'd surely come back for their clothes later, wouldn't they? Except he'd fallen quite a distance from where he left the clothes piled up. He might not see or hear them when they returned, and werewolf or not, they might not see or hear him either.

He could feel the cold creeping in from the ground beneath him and debated on moving to see if he could find some place warmer but he was no expert like Taggart. He had no idea what to look for or how far he'd have to go to find anything suitable and, "Oh, that's just great," he moaned as it started to drizzle. Very carefully he tested his arm, relieved to find it was not dislocated after all, though still pretty sore from being banged around. He knew it could be a hairline fracture so he decided not to aggravate the injury more than necessary.

The tree he'd fetched up against had quite a lot of thick roots though, so he carefully pulled himself to the other side, down hill, and found the roots overhanging slightly to form a natural roof to a shallow hole large enough for a couple of people. He figured he could make a run off to stop the rain pooling so he moved inside to gain shelter from the rain while he waited for someone to notice he was missing. That's when he remembered telling Jo he'd head straight home after checking out the report. With Zoe back at M.I.T., and no S.A.R.A.H. to fret over him, no one might come looking for him until morning.

The rain started to come down harder, so he curled up and tried not to fall asleep, afraid he might never wake up.

****

Nathan stood on his porch with a glass of Whiskey and looked out at the darkening sky as the first drops of rain began to fall. He'd been thinking of going for a run this evening, to clear away the tangle of thoughts wrapped around his desire for Jack, but the weather report said the rain wouldn't ease up until morning. He loved the freedom of the woods, especially on days like this when he needed to clear his head, but he wasn't so keen on getting cold and wet.

With a sigh he turned away from the tempting woods backing onto his property, heading indoors to consider other ways to still the thoughts whirling around in his mind.

An hour later, while lost in an article on wormholes and the space-time continuum, he absentmindedly grabbed the phone when it started ringing.

"Stark."

"It's Sheriff Lupo."

Nathan set aside the article and gave Jo his full attention. "What can I do for you, Sheriff?"

His thoughts instantly flicked to Jack as they always did whenever he thought of the local law enforcement in Eureka, and the sheriff in particular. Jo had held the position for almost a year but he still pictured Jack in his head whenever he thought of the town's sheriff.

"Carter didn't report in before going off duty."

Nathan sat up straighter. Carter was lax with a few regulations but not ones where safety was concerned - his or Jo's. It was one of those traits he had both respected and loathed about Jack, bringing them into conflict several times over safety precautions. If Jack hadn't checked in then he could be in trouble.

"Where are you?"

"Just off Hawking Lane. Jack had gone to investigate a report of misbehaving kids. The Cherokee's still here."

Nathan knew that was a heavily wooded area favored by some of the younger members of the werewolf pack, and if Jack had followed them then he could easily get lost so there was no need to panic just yet. Except he could feel the fear bubbling just beneath the surface. 

"Call Taggart. I'll meet you there in fifteen minutes."

Glad he hadn't succumbed to the temptation of indulging in a few more glasses of whiskey, Nathan grabbed several items from his downstairs closet before heading out. He pulled up beside Jo's Jeep fifteen minutes later and slipped into its passenger seat as the first rumble of thunder followed the crack and flash of lightning. Taggart pulled up only seconds later and joined them in the jeep. The wind had already picked up and the rain thundered down on the roof, almost torrential now.

Taggart leaned between the two front seats, looking up through the windshield. 

"The rain will have washed away all tracks. We won't even be able to track him by scent."

"We have to try," Nathan stated softly, his stomach twisting from the possibility Jack was lost out in this storm or worse, lying injured somewhere out there.

He had only just got him back and was still trying to decide how he should deal with this second chance. He couldn't have it snatched away from him again. Not now.

"I'm changing," he informed them, and began shedding the layers he was wearing. He felt movement in back as Taggart did likewise but stopped Jo. "No. You need to stay here in case he finds his way back."

He could tell she didn't like remaining inactive but someone had to stay behind and it wasn't going to be him. As Taggart was one of the best trackers in the pack in both human and wolf form, that only left Jo. With just his sweat pants to go, he climbed out into the frigid rain and pulled them off, throwing them back into the dry car interior before closing the door and pushing for the change. The brief pain flared over him, familiar and strangely welcome. He felt his body compacting, his limbs changing and face elongating into a muzzle. Fur sprouted first along his spine and down his legs, quickly filling in the gaps between until it was thick and dark all over. Taggart bounded up to him, a mottled coloring that suited him, with gray around the muzzle. His eyes were softly glowing as he nodded before bounding off.

Nathan followed at a fast lope.

Jo had already checked out the two abandoned laboratories before she called in for assistance, so they headed past them, one on either side. When Taggart yipped loudly, Nathan bounded towards the call, both of them sniffing at the tracks near a broken window that had not been washed away by the rain. Jack's scent was light but even in wolf form Nathan shivered from the desire that filled him.

With another meaningful look, Taggart headed into the woods with Nathan hard on his tail. The rain was coming down harder, washing the earth away from beneath their feet, making the ground treacherous underfoot. When Taggart stopped suddenly, Nathan was so preoccupied with his footing he almost ran into him. He watched as Taggart nosed around a tree, dragging out a sneaker from amid a pile of rain-sodden clothing.

These had to be from the kids someone had reported. He hoped they'd had the good sense to find a small cave or burrow if they had not already headed home. Still, it couldn't hurt to call.

Nathan paused on the edge of the slope and looked out, drawing in a deep breath and howling long and hard while Taggart waited beside him. He heard an answering call from some distance and knew the kids would come back or face his wrath.

Nathan turned his attention back to the surrounding woods, his eyes piercing the darkness with enhanced werewolf vision, and he tensed, growling under his breath when he saw signs of devastation leading down the slope - broken branches, flattened undergrowth and something metallic gleaming back. Carefully he moved down, the lower center of balance of his wolf form keeping him from tumbling. He nudged at the metal to discover it was a gun, and not just any gun. It was Jack's. His sharp eyes caught other objects in various conditions, including a phone with a broken screen.

Now more anxious than ever, Nathan continued down with Taggart on a parallel course just a few feet to his right. The next glint of metal was a battered, seven-pointed star bearing the insignia of the town and the words, _Eureka, Deputy_. Even through the rain Jack's scent was getting stronger and Nathan followed that trail to a large tree, sniffing the trunk as he caught the additional scent of blood.

Jack's blood.

By now Taggart had joined him, and was moving beyond the tree but Nathan was fixed on Jack's scent, turning back to the tree to see the shallow hole beneath its roots. He peered into the hole, and Jack's scent overwhelmed him for a moment, mixed with blood and dirt. With an ease of long practice, Nathan began the transformation back to human but stopped part way. This ability to hold both forms simultaneously was what made him a true alpha, and he was never more grateful for that than right now. He found Jack curled up on his side in the hole, injured, and he turned to Taggart, speaking in a voice turned gruff through holding both human and wolf form at the same time.

"Get help. I'll stay with him."

Taggart lowered his muzzle to indicate understanding before heading off, looking for a way back up the slope, and Nathan knew he might have to travel a few miles to find firmer ground. As soon as Taggart left, Nathan crawled into the hole in front of Jack. The roots were thick enough to provide shelter from the downpour but Jack was still chilled and wet, and possibly unconscious.

"Jack. Jack. Wake up." Nathan patted his cold cheek.

He sighed in relief when Jack moaned softly and his pale eyelashes began to flicker, visible to Nathan's sharper wolf vision. Pain-filled eyes opened blearily for a moment before startling and he jerked back from Nathan only to cry out in pain as his useless hand tried to fly to his abdomen.

"Jack, it's Nathan."

"Nathan?"

Jack reached up with one shaky hand and set cold fingers on Nathan's face, tracing the rougher edge where wolf fur and human hair merged. With enhanced vision Nathan cataloged the injuries he could see, from the way he favored one arm to the numerous cuts and grazes visible through torn clothing. He had a cut on his forehead too, the area around it swollen, but Nathan was more concerned with the injuries he couldn't see.

"I fell."

"I know. Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere... I-I think I ruptured something inside. Hurts."

His worst fear realized, Nathan knew there was nothing he could do about any internal injuries except keep Jack warm and alive until he could get him under the care of the brilliant trauma surgeons back at Global.

"Nathan... I have to tell you something. It was never Allison," he blurted out and Nathan pushed his fingers light but firmly over Jack's lips, eyes closing in a futile attempt to shut out the memory of another time, another place - the same confession.

"No." His voice was a low growl. "You don't get to hand me another deathbed confession, Jack. You hold onto those words and have the courage to tell me face-to-face when you're back on your feet."

He felt like a hypocrite because he'd been just as cowardly as Jack, holding back from saying how much Jack meant to him. With nothing more he could do for Jack except keep him warm, Nathan transformed a little further into his wolf form and moved so he could press up against Jack's back, wrapping his arms loosely around Jack's waist to use his human body and wolf fur as a warm blanket for the injured man. He stayed human enough to be able to growl understandable soft reassurances to Jack.

Jack nodded his understanding before resting his head back down, growing quieter. Nathan could feel him shivering in his arms, but that was a good sign. It was when the shivering stopped that he had to worry, aware Jack was bleeding internally. He needed to keep Jack awake and lucid, and even though this wasn't the idea time and place, he had questions nagging at him from thoughts that had been churning through him for days. He pressed a light kiss against Jack's hair.

"Jack, what happened to me in your timeline?" he asked softly.

Jack was silent, frowning as if confused, and for a moment Nathan thought he wasn't going to answer.

"I lost you. You died in Leo's machine... saving the whole universe." Jack's fingers tightly gripped the arm Nathan had wrapped carefully around him. "It should have been me."

Nathan laughed softly but without humor because the same guilt had plagued him since his Jack's death on that terrible day. It didn't matter anymore because Jack was here, and Nathan was going to make sure he stayed with him this time. He wasn't going to lose him again.

Distantly he heard Taggart howl, calling to the kids as he headed back to Jo.

He kept Jack awake, asking him questions from the past and finding no discernible difference until they stepped into the Time laboratory on that final loop despite the open existence of werewolves. For a moment Nathan wondered if a third alternate universe existed where they had accepted Fargo's offer to set time straight. They compared their universes following the end of the time loops, finding some similar events but not necessarily the same solutions. Other events had never occurred, such as Tess Fontana's memory devices, and in this universe Eva Thorne had successfully sealed off the hidden complex. Within days of that she had handed back control of Global Dynamics solely to Nathan, much to Allison's annoyance, but Nathan had given Allison plenty of warnings not to antagonize Thorne.

It seemed as if half the night passed before Nathan heard movement beyond the small hole, though he knew it was likely less than a hour since he had found Jack. He transformed back to full human when Taggart poked his furry head into the enclosed space, growling low in concern as he nuzzled at Jack. Outside Jo was waiting for Nathan, handing over dry clothes as one of the trauma specialists took his place beside Jack. Nathan dressed quickly, and even though the rain had started to ease off, he was grateful for the shield device someone on the rescue team had set up, which formed a barrier over their heads several feet in all directions.

No one except for Jo paid any attention to him as he dressed, as if it was perfectly normal to see a grown man running naked around the woods. Though maybe that wasn't so far-fetched as Taggart had a tendency to strip given the slightest reason, calling it going back to nature. Jo insisted he had a hot drink to help warm him up, and no one argued when Nathan climbed into the ambulance with Jack, leaving Jo to arrange for someone else to drive his car back.

They whisked Jack straight into the surgical unit but Allison barred his way.

"They're prepping him for surgery. It could take a few hours so why don't you go home, Nathan. Take a shower, get something hot to eat. I'll keep you updated as and when I can."

He wanted to argue but he knew that stubborn look all too well so he nodded and stepped back, allowing her to go to her patient - to Jack.

Nathan partially took her advice, taking advantage of the executive washroom to shower and change. He ordered someone to fetch him a hot meal from the cafeteria, which was open all hours because science didn't work on a nine-to-five schedule. Eventually he settled into his office to wait for an update on Jack, deciding he could at least try to get some of the endless reports read and signed off while he waited. He glanced up when Jo arrived an hour later, raising one eyebrow when she sank onto the couch arranged against the far wall without a word or an invitation.

She continued to say nothing, raising one sculptured eyebrow as if to ask if he had a problem with her being there, before setting to work on a tablet - likely filing an incident report or catching up on paperwork like him. He ignored her, flicking through the daily reports for various sections inside of Global.

"He should be the sheriff," she stated about twenty minutes later, and he wondered if she'd had this thought in mind the whole time or whether this was the first time she'd actually sat down to think it through.

Nathan sat back in his comfortable chair, steepling his fingers as he looked over at her. The Jo Lupo of his timeline had taken the post under duress after Jack... disappeared. She had coveted the Sheriff's job for years, but had never wanted it like that. Not with Jack's death. He knew she'd come to love and respect Jack, and in turn, Jack treated her like family. Flipping their roles between Sheriff and Deputy hadn't broken that bond.

He sighed, coming to a decision.

"I've been thinking of creating a new role at Global. Chief Security Officer." He eyed her askance. "With your military training and law enforcement skill set, you'd be a perfect fit. Of course you'd have to ditch the unflattering uniform."

She smiled wryly. "And who would keep Jack out of trouble?"

"Oh, I have a replacement deputy in mind," he replied mysteriously with a grin, though it all depended on Jack pulling through.

So far there was no word from the medical center and Nathan hoped that was a good thing.

Another hour passed far too slowly and Nathan was convinced he had read the same report at least three times now without taking in a single word. Admittedly, it was the dullest report he had ever read as Doctor Hinges did tend to waffle, but all he could see was Jack's injured body and his pale, battered face. It brought back memories of the Time laboratory, and of the way Jack had held a protective arm around internal injuries as he quietly stated, "I'm not going to survive another loop."

The sudden trilling of his phone made him startle but Nathan recovered quickly.

"Stark."

"Nathan." It was Allison. "He's out of surgery. It was a small bleed but nasty, and it took us time to find it, but Doctor Staple successfully sealed it. His arm's badly bruised with a hairline fracture, and he has a concussion but otherwise he got off pretty lightly all things considered. He's going to be just fine."

"Thank you."

Nathan ended the call and looked across at Jo, who was sitting upright with her gaze intent upon him.

"He's going to pull through."

She slumped in relief, head lowered to hide her face. He watched as she nodded firmly, just once, before pushing up from his couch. Jo offered a weak smile before heading out of the door, but she paused on the threshold, looking back at him. He waited for some unwanted advice about getting some rest but all she did was nod again, and smile more warmly before heading out, as if sharing a secret. It occurred to him then that she could have gone to Zane Donovan for comfort if that was her need, but instead she had come here to support him. He wondered if he was that transparent to everyone, or whether she had seen something in word or gesture that revealed how much he cared for Jack.

He snorted in self-derision because everything he'd done since Jack's miraculous appearance on Founder's Day had been mostly for Jack's sake, wanting to protect him and keep him safe in Eureka.

Safe. He snorted derisively because that hadn't happened. As usual Jack had managed to find trouble - or it had found him.

Having decided he wasn't going to achieve anything more this night, he shut down his computer and headed to the medical center. Jack was in the intensive care unit under observation and Nathan stood by the large window staring at him, cataloging the equipment from monitors to drips. He sensed Allison long before she stopped beside him, recognizing her scent and perfume.

"You can go in."

He turned and smiled. "Of course I can. I am the Director."

"Nathan," she remonstrated and he took both her hands, smiling warmly down at her.

"Give Jenna and Kevin a hug from me."

She sighed and shook her head, smiling back, and he was glad she was the same beautiful, understanding, and caring woman whom he'd almost remarried that day. He watched her leave before stepping inside Jack's room, taking a moment to check the monitors before allowing himself the luxury of looking at Jack. Reaching out he touched Jack's arm, reassured by the normal warmth and pallor of his skin compared to several hours earlier.

Even battered and bruised, with a bandage taped over the cut on his forehead, he looked beautiful to Nathan.

He walked away quietly having satisfied himself that Jack was no longer in danger, nodding to the on-duty nurse, and certain he'd be able to sleep now.

****

With the medical technology available at Global Dynamics, Jack was released from care within a week. Although severe while untreated, Doctor Staple had sealed the damage blood vessel in surgery using some sort of heat gadget and though his abdomen still ached, the worse pain was from his arm, but even that was healing fast.

Jo had driven him home an hour earlier, leaving him only when a call came in.

His small house was deathly silent, making him miss S.A.R.A.H. and her fussing. He debated on calling Zoe but she had important lectures this week with exams coming up, so he didn't want to pull her away from her studies and have her worrying about him. Henry was caught up in a project and as the head of the Medical Section, Allison was busy with reports.

While he was in the infirmary, Nathan had visited often considering his busy schedule, but neither of them had mentioned Jack's attempt to confess his feelings, and the words were starting to eat away at him. He suffered through another three hours alone, filling in the silence with a ball game before he gave into a desperate need to see Nathan. It was just passed noon when he approached Nathan's office, and the sensation roiling in his gut was unpleasant rather than exciting.

"Fargo, hold all his calls for me-."

"Um, you can't-."

"Fargo," Jack growled in warning. 

"He's not there. He left early today."

Jack blinked, taken aback because Nathan was a workaholic and Jack couldn't recall the last time Nathan had left his office before six. "Where is he?"

"He went home."

Jack nodded, a little concerned, and headed back to the parking lot. Perhaps this was for the best, he thought, debating on following doctor's orders and going back home, but the need to see Nathan was too strong. He pulled up outside Nathan's far grander house, seeing his BMW in the drive and sighed, giving himself a few minutes to gather his courage before stepping out and heading to the door. Jack took a deep breath before announcing his presence, growing more nervous at the sound of footsteps coming towards the door.

"I've had nothing to do but think," he stated abruptly as the door opened, and Nathan's eyebrows climbed higher.

"Let's hope you haven't strained anything important."

Jack rolled his eyes a fraction because he should have expected some retort. He stepped past Nathan, turning back to him as Nathan reluctantly accepted his uninvited guest and closed the door behind him. This was a conversation they needed to have in private anyway.

"The point is, you said to wait until I was back on my feet-."

"Which you are... barely."

"Nathan! What I'm trying to say... I'm trying..." He huffed in annoyance because this was so much harder than he thought it would be despite the number of times he had gone over this in his head. He decided to take the blunt approach - rip the bandage off so to speak. "I love you," he blurted out.

Nathan stared at him for a moment, a smile twisted his lips as he leaned back against the wall with his arms folded.

"There it is." His voice was soft and low when he spoke. "The reason I spent a year alternating between hating you and hating myself. Why I couldn't go through with the wedding to Allison, and why I have a dozen white boards filled with useless theories and equations," he waved towards somewhere further into the house, "That all point to one terrible conclusion that you were gone... forever. That I'd lost you and I couldn't get you back no matter how much I wanted to shake you for dying on me after making that last second confession."

Unsure what to make of Nathan's words but recalling something Nathan said about ' _no more deathbed confessions_ ', he held his ground as Nathan pushed off from the wall and moved closer, step by step, until Jack had to look up to see into his eyes. Those eyes revealed all the turmoil and grief that was absent from Nathan's usual poker face.

"Nathan," Jack whispered.

"You died, Jack." His voice cracked a little. "And part of me died with you."

"I'm here now."

Nathan stared hard at him for a moment longer before finally nodding. "Yes. Yes you are."

Jack's knees chose that moment to give out on him but Nathan was close enough to grab hold of his good arm and help him stay upright.

"You should be at home resting," Nathan admonished but he supported Jack, helping him further inside and settling him onto a luxurious couch.

What he didn't expect was Nathan sitting down with him, still holding on so tight that his fingers were biting into Jack's biceps.

"Nathan-."

The kiss was the barest press of lips, so fleeting Jack wasn't sure if it had been a kiss at all.

"In case I lost you there, I love you too, Jack." He pulled back, lips forming a familiar smirk, "And if we've finished having this Hallmark moment, I suspect Doctor Staple won't be too pleased to know you've gone against his medical orders for bed rest."

"Then maybe you should take me to bed," Jack challenged, chin rising defiantly, refusing to back down under Nathan's hard stare.

He knew he'd won when he saw the blue-green eyes soften and a smile curve Nathan's lips. A large hand lifted to cup his cheek, and Jack could read all the need and desire blazing in his eyes, momentarily wondering if his own were blown so wide too.

"Jack, I'm as much wolf as I am human. If we do this. If we start something today. I don't know if I could ever let you go again." 

Jack nodded, smiling weakly, as something intensely powerful settled inside him. "That's the plan."

This time there was no mistaking the kiss. It was deep and hard, filled with too many emotions to count - love, hate, desire, need, grief and joy. It was everything poured into a touch of lips and by the time they drew back, Jack was shaking from the need to hold Nathan closer still, wanting him wrapped around him, inside him. Wanting to touch and taste and revel in the joy of slowly breaking down all of Nathan's walls until there were no more secrets between them. He felt lightheaded when Nathan drew him to his feet, staggering slightly as he was led upstairs to Nathan's bed.

Nathan pressed him down, taking control, and for once Jack felt no inclination to fight back for misplaced dominance. He wanted this, knowing his acquiescence made him just as strong, knowing he had the power to stop this at any time. He let Nathan slowly strip him, aching from the tenderness of kisses and caresses ghosting over his recent injuries, feeling loved and worshiped in equal measure.

Naked and exposed, he felt the heat of embarrassment as Nathan stepped back, appraising him from head to toe, his hungry gaze making Jack shiver as his eyes glowed, revealing the wolf inside. He gasped shakily as Nathan stripped down to bare skin, letting Jack's eyes feast on his perfect abs and toned body, and when Nathan crawled over him, predatory by nature, Jack arched up in a desperate need to feel skin on skin.

He heard Nathan's low growl, feeling it vibrate through both of them as Nathan leaned in to kiss him again, rocking their bodies together. The slickness of precome and the heady musk of sex made him moan. He choked off a gasp as teeth grazed his throat, rocking harder against Nathan as a long desired need slowly overwhelmed him. He could feel Nathan's hard cock sliding against his own, adding to the incredible pleasure, almost sobbing as Nathan latched onto his throat.

"Do it," he demanded.

Nathan froze for a moment, drawing back to look Jack directly in the eyes, hope and desire deepening the inner glow.

"I want it. I want you. All of you."

Before his eyes Nathan began to change as he did with Fargo and Allison, becoming something more than human as his eyes blazed and his canines lengthened. His beard thickened, and the soft curls of his hair straightened into a dark pelt. Halfway between human and wolf he was even more beautiful, and Jack reached up to touch the sharp teeth, unafraid of the big, bad wolf. As Nathan leaned back down to nuzzle against his throat, Jack let his fingers slide through soft fur, hips arching upwards against the now slightly furred belly. He could feel Nathan slick against his skin, trapped between them, and as those sharp teeth sank into his skin at the juncture or neck and shoulder, his orgasm ripped through him, more intense than he'd ever experienced before.

He must have passed out because when he opened his eyes Nathan was above him looking concerned and he sensed the relief flood through him like a powerful wave crashing over him when he smiled up at Nathan in reassurance. He'd always been able to sense emotions in others but never so strongly as this, as if he was a part of Nathan now. He reached up to touch his throat, expecting to find it slick with blood, but the ragged bite mark was already starting to heal and Nathan must have cleaned the bite while he was unconscious.

"You had me worried there, Jack. I should have waited until you were stronger before-."

"No. I'm fine. I really am."

Nathan relaxed, drawing Jack into his arms, and Jack felt a sense of peace settle over both of them, of belonging.

"Do you feel it?" Nathan asked, and Jack frowned. "You're mine now. Human and wolf."

He concentrated, looking inward, and felt that sense of belonging grow stronger with each passing moment, like a slender strand tethering him to Nathan, and Nathan to him. He smiled crookedly.

"That means you're mine too."

"Always."

****

Jack's first change happened a few hours later, and stunned both of them, though Nathan should have suspected Jack would be his equal in that too. He watched as Jack's transformation stopped part way, displaying his true alpha status, his blue eyes glowing from within like Kashmir sapphires - a brilliant blue. With a little more concentration the transformation continued until the human was gone and in Jack's place was a powerful wolf only slightly smaller than Nathan in stature.

Jack was handsome as a man but beautiful as a wolf.

His fur was mostly tan and ocher, with dashes of white around his eyes, while his tail was tipped in a darker brown. The fur was soft against Nathan's skin as his hand stroked along his mate's back from ears to the base of his bushy tail. Jack shook out like a dog, lifting each paw in turn to inspect it before twisting round and round as he tried to see his tail, making Nathan laugh.

A soft growl of warning could not wipe the smile from Nathan's face, and he was still smiling as he triggered the change in himself.

Once fully changed Nathan nuzzled against his mate, enjoying the softness of Jack's fur against his muzzle. His heightened senses filled with Jack's scent, unique as both human and wolf, and he watched as Jack nuzzled him in turn, marking each other.

Their timing was perfect, and Nathan wondered if Jack had been drawn to him this day because of the full moon, the same way he'd been unable to concentrate that morning, finally giving up and heading home early. Unlike in the lore, the full moon held no particular sway over his - their - kind, except to heighten awareness, strengthening the urge to transform but not forcing it.

Coded to his unique DNA, the door to the back yard opened as he padded towards it.

Outside the moon had risen above the tree tops, casting a reflected light over the woods with rays of moonlight penetrating the canopy to illuminate clearings and sparkle off the small stream running close by. It was beautiful viewed with human eyes but magical as a wolf.

Nathan glanced over to make sure Jack was following before loping off into the woods with Jack barely a few strides behind, easily keeping pace with him now that the change had accelerated his healing. He could feel the exhilaration filling Jack as they jumped over downed trees and ran tirelessly, slowing occasionally to nudge and play in dappled moonlight.

In the distance Nathan heard the call of the pack and he turned towards it without hesitation. No doubt the pack had caught scent of a new true alpha in their midst, so all would be present this night, and Nathan was eager to introduce Jack to them - as his one true mate.

The shadow of the past year was left behind them as they ran together, and ahead of them the future was as bright as the full moon filling the night sky above.

END  
.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Artwork for Small Fandoms Big Bang 'Shadow of the Wolf' by Tarlan](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3666267) by [danceswithgary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/danceswithgary/pseuds/danceswithgary)




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